DYMT currently has a lot of discussion of Thanksgiving food preparation, which I've been taking part in. I thought it might be spun out into its own thread, and while we have an "eating" thread, I can't find a recent "cooking" one. So here goes:

Currently in the middle prep stages of the Thanksgiving meal. All groceries purchased, and this is what I've got done already or in the works:

Turkey - dry-brined, with chopped fresh rosemary and freshly-cracked pepper added to the brine rubbed inside the cavity. Trussed and sitting in the fridge, will add some more rosemary and pepper to the outside tomorrow.

Gravy - Debating between making tonight or tomorrow, using the neck, organs and mire poix.

Cranberry sauce - just whole cranberries, zest and juice from four mandarin oranges, sugar and water. Cooked yesterday and chilling in container in the fridge.

Pumpkin pie - crust dough was made over the weekend, pumpkin roasted last week, froze it for storage and thawing now. Will make tomorrow, pumpkin pie is dead simple.

Bourbon pecan pie - I make a brown sugar custard-based pecan pie instead of a syrup-based one; I like it a lot better. And I throw in 45 ml of bourbon because it makes it taste awesome. Crust dough was made yesterday, will throw together and bake tomorrow.

Relatives are bringing dressing (not stuffing, since it's not in the bird, but that's ok), mashed sweet potatoes, wine, peas, corn. Much food will be consumed. Only part that ever makes me nervous is the bird, since it's large and I don't want any part over or underdone.

The last 6 years we have cooked for/hosted 15 or so family members. Because of work and where we now live, the SO and I are staying home, and only cooking for ourselves and the dog, which means greatly reduced cooking responsibility, probably 8 less dishes than normal.

Turkey - Defrosting in the fridge. Will fire up the smoker and set it tomorrow morning.Gravy - Will make from the smoked turkey drippings, honestly, this is the whole reason to smoke a turkey, with mushrooms and gizzard, looking forward to it.Looks like I will be making mashed potatoes with peas at some point tomorrow evening.Dressing - embarrassed to say this, but I am making dressed up stove top. After making stuffing twice a year for the last 6 years, I just don't feel up to making any from scratch for just the 3 of us.Cornbread - I don't really like bread/rolls, and since I do not have to make them for the family, this will take it's place.

I'm not going to go into great detail but the menu for tomorrow includes:

Turkey (brined)Gravy from delicious turkey messHam (because turkey mostly sucks) Dressing (haven't decided yet, but have some crusty bread at the ready) A delicious broccoli salad similar to this oneMashed sweet potatoesBaked (russet) potatoesA homemade pasta salad with a bunch of veggies that is hard to describe Rolls - boring but delicious Apple and Cherry pie (we had pumpkin last week for some reason)

Having said all that. Man, turkey is just not that great. Ham ftw. Hope you all enjoy the long weekend.

I baked bread and cooked two turkeys yesterday. Cooked the bone broth until about 3 am then when I was starting to fall asleep, I pulled the meat out, separated the bones, and transferred the broth to the fridge to see if there would be any significant fat separation. So far, it looks to have very little fat rising to the top.

Going to the grocery later today to get brown sugar for some choc-chip cookies and veggies for the soup, and maybe a turkey leg or wing to throw in there too. I'll probably make the soup tomorrow.

That's what my grandmother used to make! She passed away, I always assumed that it was Hungarian goulash.

I should dig up a recipe and make it in her honor, it was delicious.

It's one of my go-to dishes when there's a few things needing to be used in my fridge. In this case a bit of over-smoked duck breast (not nice to eat by itself), a soft carrot and half a small jar of ajvar ignored for a *bit* too long. Meat it up with some extra pork scotch fillet. There's always good Hungarian paprika in my pantry. Was too lazy to make nokedli (which really isn't that much of an effort) so went with packet pasta instead...

The family Thanksgiving dinner went well. We made a pot of turkey stock from the remains, and froze it in 2 cup portions (in Ziploc bags). Something like 2 gallons total. We cook a lot so we go through a lot of stock, and homemade beats buying the canned stuff. This stock is a little more strongly flavored than typical stock though, due in part to the way we brined the turkey. So I guess we'll need to keep that in mind when using it.

The family Thanksgiving dinner went well. We made a pot of turkey stock from the remains, and froze it in 2 cup portions (in Ziploc bags). Something like 2 gallons total. We cook a lot so we go through a lot of stock, and homemade beats buying the canned stuff. This stock is a little more strongly flavored than typical stock though, due in part to the way we brined the turkey. So I guess we'll need to keep that in mind when using it.

I can't ever get the wife to roast/brown the picked carcass before tossing it in the stock pot. She loves my gravy which starts with browning/roasting the neck, gibby bits, and aromatics (rough-chop mirepoix), yet just makes standard turkey soup.

I'll need to take control of the next carcass and do a proper stock browning and reduction. Should also get some stock bones from the local butcher to make some beef stock.

Humans sleep soundly in their beds because rough cats stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.

I think it's pretty cool that things like making your own stock are becoming more popular again. Not only is it thrifty (good way to put vegetable trimmings/peelings to use in addition to the bones, fat, cartilage etc. from various forms of meat), it just tastes better than store-bought stock.

At least store-bought chicken stock has some chicken in it. Grocery beef stock has little to none and is usually all yeast extracts, so if you want "real" beef stock, you need to get some bones and start brownin' them.

Oh, and brew pots make really good stock pots (as I'm sure you know; this is for the young 'uns). Just make sure they get a really good green scrubby treatment in between uses.

Humans sleep soundly in their beds because rough cats stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.

Oh, and brew pots make really good stock pots (as I'm sure you know; this is for the young 'uns). Just make sure they get a really good green scrubby treatment in between uses.

Turns out the brew pot was also the perfect size to brine the turkey in. The pot actually looked better afterwards; I think the overnight brine soak (it had some citrus in it too so it was somewhat acidic) took some of the stubborn reside off the bottom of the pot!

Made Kentucky Hot Browns for dinner tonight. If you've got leftover turkey but none of the other fixins, don't go any further than this.

That looks delicious. However, wife's family tradition is that leftovers after the weekend get turned into pot pie. I am a fan of this tradition, because pie is wonderful. I fall definitively on the "pie" side of pie v. cake.

Speaking of which, made the second bourbon pecan pie this evening. I swear, it's a conspiracy: the recipe calls for 8 oz. of evaporated milk, but evaporated milk is sold in 12 oz. cans. I have no choice but to make them in threes.

Should also mention, brining the bird worked out really well. Very good flavor, and the breast meat was moist and tender. We will definitely be doing that going forward whenever we make turkey. Bit of a PITA, but worth it (and hey, dealing with a whole turkey is a big production regardless).